Zips Primed for NCAA East Preliminary Round Track and Field Championships

Wednesday, May 25

Bloomington, Ind.

University of Akron

NCAA East Preliminary Round

Zips Primed for NCAA East Preliminary Round Track and Field Championships

May 24 | Track & Field

NCAA EAST PRELIMINARY ROUND - MEET INFORMATION | MEET SCHEDULE | LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO

AKRON, Ohio - The University of Akron Track and Field program is primed for breakout performances at the NCAA East Preliminary Round Track and Field Championships this weekend as the Zips will be represented by 15 student-athletes at the four-day event hosted by Indiana University Wednesday through Saturday, May 25-28 in Bloomington, Ind.

The meet, which invites the region's top 48 athletes in each event, serves as the opening round of the NCAA Outdoor Championships. The top-12 finishers in each event will advance to the NCAA's in Eugene, Ore., from June 8-11. The NCAA West prelims will be held in Fayetteville, Ark., at the same time.

The Zips lead the Mid-American Conference with a league-best 15 combined men's and women's qualifiers (15 Zips across 13 events) for the NCAA East Preliminary Round.

UP NEXT: The Zips will be represented by 10 men and five women at the NCAA East Preliminary Round in Bloomington, Ind., this weekend.

Competing for Akron on the women's side will be redshirt sophomore Laurel Bristow (Pittsburgh, Pa.) (Javelin - 2 p.m., Thursday), junior Amya Clarke (Christ Church, St. Kitts and Nevis) (100 meters - 7 p.m., Thursday), freshmen Fegor Clifford (Delta State, Nigeria) (400-meter hurdles - 8:20 p.m., Thursday and Triple jump - 6 p.m. Saturday) and Abby Knouff (Tallmadge, Ohio) (Pole Vault - 6:30 p.m., Thursday) and junior Jacqueline Pokuaah (Kumasi, Ghana) (Long Jump - 6 p.m. Thursday and Triple Jump - 6 p.m. Saturday).

AKRON WOMEN'S QUALIFIERS (Qualifying Rank-Qualifying Mark):
Laurel Bristow - Javelin (21st-164-1/50.02m); Amya Clarke - 100 meters (28th-11.41); Fegor Clifford - 400-meter hurdles (8th-57.41) and triple jump (25th-42-4/12.90m); Abby Knouff - pole vault (48th-13-3.50/4.05m); Jacqueline Pokuaah - Long Jump (25th-20-3.75/6.19m) and triple jump (5th-44-4.75/13.53m)

Taking part in the men's competition for the Zips will be junior Nuh Andu (Doha, Qatar) (High Jump - 2:30 p.m., Friday), sophomore Robert Artrip (Independence, Ohio) (Pole Vault - 6:30 p.m., Wednesday), senior Hesham Eldesouky (Nasr City, Egypt) (Triple Jump - 6 p.m., Friday), freshmen Hunter Garretson (Newcomerstown, Ohio) (Pole Vault - 2:30 p.m., Wednesday) and Jimmy Harkelroad (Huron, Ohio) (400-Meter Hurdles - 4:20 p.m., Wednesday), sophomores Jabari Neal-Jackson (Cincinnati, Ohio) (Hammer - 10 a.m., Wednesday) and Dimitrije Novakovic (Belgrade, Serbia) (Long Jump - 2 p.m., Wednesday and Triple Jump - 6 p.m., Friday), freshman Oscar Prieto (Barcelona, Spain) (Pole Vault - 2:30 p.m., Wednesday), redshirt sophomore Charles Sanders (Cincinnati, Ohio) (400 Meters - 3:25 p.m., Wednesday) and redshirt junior Milton Wilson (Streetsboro, Ohio) (Hammer - 10 a.m., Wednesday).

AKRON MEN'S QUALIFIERS (Qualifying Rank-Qualifying Mark)
Nuh Andu - High Jump (34th-6-11/2.11m); Robert Artrip - Pole Vault (45th-16-9.50/5.12m); Hesham Eldesouky - Triple Jump (12th-52-4.75/15.97m); Hunter Garretson - Pole Vault (3rd-18-4.75/5.61m); Jimmy Harkelroad - 400-Meter Hurdles (23rd-51.14); Jabari Neal-Jackson - Hammer (27th-208-4/63.49m); Dimitrije Novakovic - Long Jump (47th-24-9.75/7.56m) and Triple Jump (35th-51-0.25/15.55m); Oscar Prieto - Pole Vault (40th-16-10/5.13m); Charles Sanders - 400 meters (38th-46.50); Milton Wilson - Hammer (34th-202-7/61.76m)

For the complete list of entries, please log on to NCAA.com.

NCAA EAST PRELIMINARY ROUND MEET SCHEDULE: The NCAA East Preliminary Round meet begins at 10 a.m. at Haugh Track and Field Complex on the campus of Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind., on Wednesday, May 25, with the start of the men's hammer. Running events kick off with the men's 110-meter hurdle preliminaries at 2 p.m., and conclude with the running of the men's 10,000 meters at 5:10 p.m.

The second day opens with the women's hammer at 10 a.m. on Thursday. Running events begin with the preliminary round of the women's 100-meter hurdles at 6 p.m. The women's 10,000 meters closes out the day's action at 9:10 p.m.

The third day commences with the men's discus at 1 p.m. on Friday before actions gets underway on the track with the quarterfinals of the men's 4x100 relay at 5 p.m. The quarterfinals of the men's 4x400 relay caps the men's competition at 8:45 p.m.

The final day of the championship kicks off with the women's discus at 1 p.m. on Saturday. The first running event is slated to begin at 5 p.m. with the quarterfinals of the women's 4x100 relay before the meet draws to a close with the women's 4x400 relay quarterfinals at 8:45 p.m.

For a complete schedule of events, log on to ncaa.com. Live results (click here) will be available throughout the meet as well as live video (click here).

AKRON SCHEDULE OF EVENTS (TENTATIVE):
Wednesday, May 25
10 a.m. - Jabari Neal-Jackson, Milton Wilson (Men's Hammer - First Round)
2 p.m. - Dimitrije Novakovic (Men's Long Jump - First Round)
2:30 p.m. - Robert Artrip, Hunter Garretson, Oscar Prieto (Men's Pole Vault - First Round)
3:25 p.m. - Charles Sanders (Men's 400 Meters - First Round)
4:20 p.m. - Jimmy Harkelroad (Men's 400-Meter Hurdles - First Round)

Thursday, May 26
2 p.m. - Laurel Bristow (Women's Javelin - First Round)
6 p.m. - Jacqueline Pokuaah (Women's Long Jump - First Round)
6:30 p.m. - Abby Knouff (Women's Pole Vault - First Round)
7 p.m. - Amya Clarke (Women's 100 Meters - First Round)
8:20 p.m. - Fegor Clifford (Women's 400-Meter Hurdles - First Round)

Friday, May 27
2:30 p.m. - Nuh Andu (Men's High Jump - First Round)
6 p.m. - Hesham Eldesouky, Dimitrije Novakovic (Men's Triple Jump - First Round)
6:50 p.m. - Charles Sanders (Men's 400 Meters - Quarterfinals) %
7:25 p.m. - Jimmy Harkelroad (Men's 400-Meter Hurdles - Quarterfinals) %

Saturday, May 28
6 p.m. - Fegor Clifford, Jacqueline Pokuaah (Women's Triple Jump - First Round)
6:35 p.m. - Amya Clarke (Women's 100 Meters - Quarterfinals) %
7:25 p.m. - Fegor Clifford (Women's 400-Meter Hurdles - Quarterfinals) %

% based on advancing

NCAA CHAMPIONS: Akron's entries will be looking to add to the tradition of the Zips' track and field program, which already includes nine individual national champions. Christi Smith made history in 2000 when she became the first national champion in school history, capturing gold in the heptathlon. Stevi Large was the next to accomplish the feat, winning the women's hammer throw in 2009. Annika Roloff captured the women's pole vault in 2014. Shawn Barber became the school's first male champion claiming the indoor pole vault title in 2014 before again earning the crown at the 2015 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships. Clayton Murphy became Akron's first-ever NCAA champion in a running event winning the indoor 800 meters and outdoor 1,500 meters in 2016. In 2017, Matt Ludwig claimed the national title in the men's pole vault.

NATIONAL RANKINGS: The University of Akron track and field teams have garnered recognition for their efforts during the 2022 outdoor season as the Zips are rated in the Event Squad rankings released on May 23, 2022, as part of the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field National Rating Index.

Akron is ranked 10th nationally in the men's hammer as well as rating among the top 30 in six different events.

The Zips also rate 14th in the men's long jump, 21st in the women's 400-meter hurdles, 24th in the men's pole vault, 27th in men's 400-meter hurdles and 29th in the women's long jump.

The Akron men and women are both ranked ninth in the latest Great Lakes Regional polls.

ZIPS RANK AMONG NATION'S BEST IN 2022 TFRRS RANKINGS: Akron has four student-athletes currently ranked in the top-30 nationally by the Track and Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS) during the 2022 outdoor campaign, led by Hunter Garretson, who is fifth in the nation in the men's pole vault (18-4.75/5.61m).

Additionally, Jacqueline Pokuaah, is 12th in the nation in the women's triple jump (44-4.75/13.53m), Fegor Clifford is 19th in the women's 400-meter hurdles (57.41) and Hesham Eldesouky is 24th in the men's triple jump (52-4.75/15.97m).

CRACKING THE ALL-TIME TOP-FIVE PERFORMANCES: The Zips have posted 26 marks that rank among the top-five performances in program history this season.

NAME	EVENT/DATE	RANK – MARK
Jacqueline Pokuaah	Women's Triple Jump – March 25	No. 1 – 44-4.75 (13.53m)
Alyssa Thomas	Women's 5,000 Meters – March 24	No. 3 – 16:45.37
Hunter Garretson	Men's Pole Vault – March 24	No. 4 – 17-6.50 (5.35m)
Jacob Ondash	Men's 1,500 Meters – March 24	No. 5 – 3:47.83
Zarik Brown	Men's 400 Meters – April 2	No. 5 – 46.85
Fegor Clifford	Women's 400M Hurdles – April 16	No. 1 – 57.41
Jimmy Harkelroad	Men's 400M Hurdles – April 16	No. 1 – 51.14
Alyssa Thomas	Women's 5,000 Meters – April 14	No. 2 – 16:28.99
Blake Lucius	Men's 800 Meters – April 14	No. 3 – 1:48.69
Jacob Ondash	Men's 1,500 Meters – April 15	No. 3 – 3:45.72
Caleb Mabins	Men's Triple Jump – April 16	No. 4 – 50-0 (15.24m)
Jacqueline Pokuaah	Women's Long Jump – April 15	No. 4 – 20-3.75 (6.19m)
Kyra Keurentjes	Women's 800 Meters – April 14	No. 5 – 2:07.50
Milton Wilson	Men's Hammer – April 14	No. 5 – 202-07 (61.76m)
Alyssa Thomas	Women's 10,000 Meters – April 22	No. 2 – 35:48.21
Jacob Ondash	Men's 1,500 Meters – April 22	No. 3 – 3:44.94
Fegor Clifford	Women's 400 Meters – April 23	No. 4 – 54.70
Hunter Garretson	Men's Pole Vault – April 23	No. 4 – 17-11.25 (5.47m)
Laurel Bristow	Women's Javelin – April 30	No. 2 – 164-1 (50.02m)
Jabari Neal-Jackson	Men's Hammer – April 29	No. 2 – 208-4 (63.49m)
Hunter Garretson	Men's Pole Vault – April 30	No. 3 – 18-4.75 (5.61m)
Dimitrije Novakovic	Men's Triple Jump – April 30	No. 3 – 51-0.25 (15.55m)
Adaeze Nwokike	Women's 100M Hurdles – April 30	No. 4 – 13.71
Amya Clarke	Women's 100 Meters – May 14	No. 1 – 11.41
Alyssa Thomas	Women's 10,000 Meters – May 12	No. 2 – 35:26.40
Charles Sanders	Men's 400 Meters – May 14	No. 3 – 46.50